Do Pitchers need water to digest insects?

Jonathan

Carnivorous Plant Addict
None of my Pitchers have seemed to to produce their own liquid. I do see dead bugs in them but no fluids in them. Can they still get nutrients this way?
 

Lloyd Gordon

Cactus micrografter newbie.
Staff member
From my experience, a lot of meaty bugs like wasps lead to a brownish burned looking area. Still the plant gets lots of nutrients so it seems Ok.
 

daniella3d

Carnivorous Plant Addict
I think due to the shape and position of the lid, the pitchers are not meant to collect a lot of water, maybe just a little bit. I am pretty much sure the lid is meant to prevent rain from entering too much inside the pitcher. so I don't think they need any water in there. With some sarracenias, things are different, like with the purpurea. The lid seem to be designed to help the water go down the pitcher and those pitchers are almost always full of rain in nature. I don't know why it is different with different type of sarracenias.

When a pitcher gets too many insects, the mixture will rot and the pitcher become brown at that spot. Some people put something to block the pitcher after a few bugs, so that it does not rot. it does not affect the health of the plant though, only esthetic. With my seedlings, I fill them a lot with MaxSea fertilizer and they like it a lot. So either way they can do with or without water for most of them. If there is too much water inside, large pitchers can flip over.
 

steve booth

Carnivore
Brown patches are 'indigestion' or rather the release of nutrients from dead prey above the digestive zone, that the plants cant absorb quickly and burns the tissue. That's why purpurea generally don't get this effect, as the prey fall to low point ofthe pitcher which is where the rainwater that they catch or is in them collects and dilutes this to manageable levels.
Cheers
Steve
 

MimiStew24

Carnivorous Plant Addict
Very interesting guys! I was wondering this, as my N.Amprullia has small little brown patch on its side belly!
 
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